Hawaii's Own, with another amazing goal, this time to defeat Supporter's Shield winners DC to move within sight of a playoff spot. To see the amazing goal just follow the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuECatf6qaw
Showing posts with label MLS 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS 2006. Show all posts
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
Disappointment (West)
As the season winds down, disappointing, is almost too nice a description for the way the season has turned out for some MLS teams. What happened? Can they recover? What next year? These are the questions many fans in the league are already facing. And with the playoffs looming ever larger, four teams are about to find themselves left out and on early holiday.
West
LA Galaxy
The mighty Gals started last season on a blistering pace. And it was a good thing they did, because despite the struggles of RSL and Chivas, the Galaxy almost plummeted out of the playoffs last year, only to turn on the jets, win the Double.
A year later, and without a great start to the season, the Galaxy are on the verge of another US Open Cup, but are getting farther adrift of the MLS Playoffs.
What happened boys? You returned most of your stars, but you have returned little of the firepower that propelled you last year. Donovan is the team's leading striker, despite having missed about ten games. Quaranta and Gordon have both posted some good strikes lately, but not enough to make a difference. Gordon missed the target multiple times last weekend, if he had only managed to get one on target the Galaxy would look in much better shape.
Gomez has been MIA most of the season, only four goals in 25 games is not acceptable. Especially when last year he hit 11 goals in only 22 games.
With Yallop at the helm the Gals can only hope for some stability, they have dealt with constant turnover this season. Nine players have left the team, and only twenty roster spots are currently being filled. So while the Galaxy returned much of their underperforming Champion team, they have totally disappointed again. Will most likely miss the playoffs for the first time, and can only hope that during the off season they can prevent another season of under performing and under achieving.
Houston Dynamo
A collection of players that posted a perfect home record, won the supporters shield in classy fashion, but tripped in the playoffs.
I doubt many people expected Houston to have as much trouble as they have this season. Last year as San Jose these players were incredible and for the longest time looked poised to take the MLS crown. So despite no serious coaching changes, or significant lineup turmoil, Houston has gone from poised for another great run, to mediocre.
They may have beat up on Dallas this year, but have had little success against the rest of the league. Yes, they are second in the west, but being only one point up on both Chivas and Colorado, there is every chance they could enter the playoffs in fourth, and an even more remote chance they could sink to the bottom of the western table and miss the play offs all together.
The move of SJE to Houston was traumatic on fans, but seems to have affected the team as a whole. A team you should have expected big things from, seems to have just wilted away in the Texas heat.
West
LA Galaxy
The mighty Gals started last season on a blistering pace. And it was a good thing they did, because despite the struggles of RSL and Chivas, the Galaxy almost plummeted out of the playoffs last year, only to turn on the jets, win the Double.
A year later, and without a great start to the season, the Galaxy are on the verge of another US Open Cup, but are getting farther adrift of the MLS Playoffs.
What happened boys? You returned most of your stars, but you have returned little of the firepower that propelled you last year. Donovan is the team's leading striker, despite having missed about ten games. Quaranta and Gordon have both posted some good strikes lately, but not enough to make a difference. Gordon missed the target multiple times last weekend, if he had only managed to get one on target the Galaxy would look in much better shape.
Gomez has been MIA most of the season, only four goals in 25 games is not acceptable. Especially when last year he hit 11 goals in only 22 games.
With Yallop at the helm the Gals can only hope for some stability, they have dealt with constant turnover this season. Nine players have left the team, and only twenty roster spots are currently being filled. So while the Galaxy returned much of their underperforming Champion team, they have totally disappointed again. Will most likely miss the playoffs for the first time, and can only hope that during the off season they can prevent another season of under performing and under achieving.
Houston Dynamo
A collection of players that posted a perfect home record, won the supporters shield in classy fashion, but tripped in the playoffs.
I doubt many people expected Houston to have as much trouble as they have this season. Last year as San Jose these players were incredible and for the longest time looked poised to take the MLS crown. So despite no serious coaching changes, or significant lineup turmoil, Houston has gone from poised for another great run, to mediocre.
They may have beat up on Dallas this year, but have had little success against the rest of the league. Yes, they are second in the west, but being only one point up on both Chivas and Colorado, there is every chance they could enter the playoffs in fourth, and an even more remote chance they could sink to the bottom of the western table and miss the play offs all together.
The move of SJE to Houston was traumatic on fans, but seems to have affected the team as a whole. A team you should have expected big things from, seems to have just wilted away in the Texas heat.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Ching Out
Hawaii's top men's soccer player will be out for a month after undergoing knee surgery, despite playing in two more games for his MLS side, Ching believes that he injured himself against Chelsea FC of England during the MLS All-Star game.
"It's a little disappointing, frustrating," Ching said in Monday's editions of the Houston Chronicle. "I feel a little unlucky."
Ching currently has ten goals this season, putting him in fourth for the Budweiser Golden Boot award, despite the fact that he has missed much of the season while on National team duty at the world cup.
"It's a little disappointing, frustrating," Ching said in Monday's editions of the Houston Chronicle. "I feel a little unlucky."
Ching currently has ten goals this season, putting him in fourth for the Budweiser Golden Boot award, despite the fact that he has missed much of the season while on National team duty at the world cup.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
MLS Working Class Heros
I was walking through campus today, wearing my Galaxy away jersey. I love wearing the jersey, not so much because I am a Galaxy fan, I am only a marginal one at best, but because I always wonder if someone will recognize it. Until today no one ever had.
I was stopped just shy of my destination by an elderly British man. He stopped me and inquired if that was in fact the MLS team from LA. I replied positively, but through in a quick, they suck though. Just In case he stopped me to mock me, I wanted first dibs on that. But the conversation quickly switched to another topic as he asked me about the All-Star game and if I'd watched it.
Within a five minute span I knew that this man grew up just blocks from Highbury and loved going to midweek matches between Arsenal and Spurs and had even played on the Arsenal youth team when he was a much younger lad.
But really, he just wanted to deride the English stars as "overpaid, over hyped, and in some cases overweight". He was quite proud of what the MLS All-Stars had done against Chelsea and had enjoyed reading post game reports about how much quicker and stronger the MLS side was. A side whose players had hardly been looking at by the British giants, a side whose players were still making not much more than an honest salary, journeymen and working class players.
I actually found myself defending Chelsea. It was only there first game I tried to tell him. No, I was told. For players, some of whom make millions of pounds a year, there is no excuse to loosing to players who only make thousands a year.
Which comes back to his original point, that the Chelsea players and indeed most players in England are over paid and over hyped. But MLS, MLS should enjoy the journeyman aspect, the working class players, that we know our boys play for the love of the game, because for most, that big break will never come.
And while I never found out if he supported Arsenal or Spurs or even his name. He was a nice old man, and I can only hope I run into more like him wearing the green and gold.
I was stopped just shy of my destination by an elderly British man. He stopped me and inquired if that was in fact the MLS team from LA. I replied positively, but through in a quick, they suck though. Just In case he stopped me to mock me, I wanted first dibs on that. But the conversation quickly switched to another topic as he asked me about the All-Star game and if I'd watched it.
Within a five minute span I knew that this man grew up just blocks from Highbury and loved going to midweek matches between Arsenal and Spurs and had even played on the Arsenal youth team when he was a much younger lad.
But really, he just wanted to deride the English stars as "overpaid, over hyped, and in some cases overweight". He was quite proud of what the MLS All-Stars had done against Chelsea and had enjoyed reading post game reports about how much quicker and stronger the MLS side was. A side whose players had hardly been looking at by the British giants, a side whose players were still making not much more than an honest salary, journeymen and working class players.
I actually found myself defending Chelsea. It was only there first game I tried to tell him. No, I was told. For players, some of whom make millions of pounds a year, there is no excuse to loosing to players who only make thousands a year.
Which comes back to his original point, that the Chelsea players and indeed most players in England are over paid and over hyped. But MLS, MLS should enjoy the journeyman aspect, the working class players, that we know our boys play for the love of the game, because for most, that big break will never come.
And while I never found out if he supported Arsenal or Spurs or even his name. He was a nice old man, and I can only hope I run into more like him wearing the green and gold.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
MLS All-Stars
In today's All-Star match the mostly dollar store toys of MLS defeated the expensive imports off fellow today collector Chelsea FC. Or something like that. But before anyone gets any ideas about buying any of the MLS stars, whose profiles might have been raised today, I must direct you to Ivan Gazidis.
I am glad the good guys won. I was very impressed with the way our players handled themselves against one of the most expensive sports teams ever assembled. But now the excuses will start to pile up at our doorsteps. A few, hey its an entire leagues all-star team against just one British side, some more, hey we aren't in season and could care less about some MLS All-stars, and even more, its right in the middle of their season damnit, its all just a matter of fitness.
But who cares. We won. If we had lost, then we'd have two super clubs looking down on us (thanks Real... goodluck at Salt Lake!). So whatever the excuses we still won.
And we reserve the right to use those very excuses when we bomb out of the CONCACAF Cup every year as well. We all know the things a joke, something to be taken less seriously than the US Open Cup. Only three countries can even afford to compete in it, the US, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Some continental competition.
So bottles up. It was an entertaining game, played in a great looking stands, and even though the grass was too long play moved along at a good pace. The 1-0 score didn't do justice to the chances each team had, it could have easily been more, and perhaps that's too bad, we all know those casual sports fans love to see high scores, not all of them have soccer fans at hand to multiply scores by seven and convert the action into football for them to understand what's going on.
So what's the plan now that we have scored a victory over a top opponent in a meaningless exhibition game? Forget it ever happened and move on I bet. It was a good game I said, yes, and the good guys won, yes, but really? Eh. I'm not into All-Star games, especially ones like this in which I see little gained. As far as respect goes (the only thing even on the line here) I feel like we bet the house for the return of a toaster if we win. Not a bet I would make.
But hey, now we've got a new toaster.
I am glad the good guys won. I was very impressed with the way our players handled themselves against one of the most expensive sports teams ever assembled. But now the excuses will start to pile up at our doorsteps. A few, hey its an entire leagues all-star team against just one British side, some more, hey we aren't in season and could care less about some MLS All-stars, and even more, its right in the middle of their season damnit, its all just a matter of fitness.
But who cares. We won. If we had lost, then we'd have two super clubs looking down on us (thanks Real... goodluck at Salt Lake!). So whatever the excuses we still won.
And we reserve the right to use those very excuses when we bomb out of the CONCACAF Cup every year as well. We all know the things a joke, something to be taken less seriously than the US Open Cup. Only three countries can even afford to compete in it, the US, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Some continental competition.
So bottles up. It was an entertaining game, played in a great looking stands, and even though the grass was too long play moved along at a good pace. The 1-0 score didn't do justice to the chances each team had, it could have easily been more, and perhaps that's too bad, we all know those casual sports fans love to see high scores, not all of them have soccer fans at hand to multiply scores by seven and convert the action into football for them to understand what's going on.
So what's the plan now that we have scored a victory over a top opponent in a meaningless exhibition game? Forget it ever happened and move on I bet. It was a good game I said, yes, and the good guys won, yes, but really? Eh. I'm not into All-Star games, especially ones like this in which I see little gained. As far as respect goes (the only thing even on the line here) I feel like we bet the house for the return of a toaster if we win. Not a bet I would make.
But hey, now we've got a new toaster.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Don Garber Speaks
The State of the Game speech has rarely been ground breaking or earth shattering news. But represents a feel good moment where we can delight at what has been accomplished and exult in what's coming. So lets look over what was said.
1) Look, We're On TV!
The ESPN deal has been confirmed yet again. Thursday night coverage is a certainty on ESPN and it has been announced elsewhere that Saturday coverage will be on FSC and HDnet and Sunday coverage will be on Univision (or a sister network). ESPN and MLS will be looking for ways to improve coverage, from an 18 yard offsides cam, sky cam (remember what happened to the last one?), HD coverage, and pre-game coverage on sportscenter. Although in the after chat Garber stressed that the final programming grid had not been determined, but that MLS does expect to receive its share of ancillary programming.
So here's to the MLS Monday Night show! (Note, no such show was mentioned.....yet)
2) Beckham/Superstar/Franchise Player Rule
No deal. It turns out it isn't financially viable for the league to invest in big names to try an drive attendances and sponsorship revenue. Not a huge surprise for some, but probably a disappointment to others. But this announcement was mentioned along with the next big announcement.
3) Vertical Player Development
No no, not growth hormones for height. But the institution of an academy system, or at least the right to develop and sign local talent rather than seeing them snatched up by other teams because of the current rules with signing players. This should be huge for those teams that have already made some youth investment like Chicago or New York. We can only hope to see more MLS teams invest in PDL franchises, expanded roster, and an expanded reserve division. But its a relief to me to hear them talk about greater investments in "vertical player development" than bringing over players known for their name rather than their ability these days.
Of course Garber has said we'll have to wait a while for an announcement with any kind of details, but that they are in the final stages is a good sign.
4) Expansion & Relocation
Current plans are still to expand to 16 teams by 2010 and then take a break. Obviously Toronto was one of the four that will be added. As for the other three Garber mentioned Las Vegas, Miami, Seattle, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Atlanta. I hesitate to say it, but I think San Jose will also get one of those three remaining spots, Lew Wolf has certainly been making a point to announce the staff he has hired and the offices he is opening for them. All of those cities have been mentioned before, besides Las Vegas. So we know Cleveland has made progress as well as St. Louis and Philidelphia. The Atlanta bid sounds like it has promise, but I would be curious to find out who the investors for Seattle are, and who is trying to bring MLS back to Miami.
Kansas City may or may not be relocating, Garber still seems hopeful that the situation can be resolved. And Salt Lake City will not be going anywhere, Garber seemed pretty firm in his resolve that Salt Lake City will find a way to build a stadium and that the team is in no immediate danger or relocating.
5) Scheduling Issues
Plans are in place for an unbalanced 13 team schedule next year, using the current conference set-up. Although Garber did not totally discount the possibility of a single table in the future, it was not mentioned as still being discussed. However he did mention that they would be discussing the possibility of a split season schedule, or a summer break. So we'll see what happens, be very interesting to see what comes out of the board of governors meeting in respect the schedule, conference set up and the future of the playoffs.
6) Advertising?
Ads on the front of jerseys are apparently "a plan" that's being worked on. So good news there as far as helping teams hit the black. Currently many teams have little quarter size ads on the back of jerseys. I can only hope that front ads will generate greater revenue. Otherwise they just wouldn't be worth it.
Gardner also hopes that MLS advertising will expand this coming season now that ESPN/FSC will have a vested interest in promoting the programming that they are paying for. So we should start seeing ads aired on ESPN during more than just the actual game.
7) Stadiums
Red Bull Park should break ground any time now. And this time it really seems like its going to happen. And despite failures by the MLB and NFL to build a stadium in Boston, the MLS has been having some success in this area. The cost and size of a soccer stadium make it a lot easier to fit in somewhere in the city, so I guess all we can do is stay tuned.
1) Look, We're On TV!
The ESPN deal has been confirmed yet again. Thursday night coverage is a certainty on ESPN and it has been announced elsewhere that Saturday coverage will be on FSC and HDnet and Sunday coverage will be on Univision (or a sister network). ESPN and MLS will be looking for ways to improve coverage, from an 18 yard offsides cam, sky cam (remember what happened to the last one?), HD coverage, and pre-game coverage on sportscenter. Although in the after chat Garber stressed that the final programming grid had not been determined, but that MLS does expect to receive its share of ancillary programming.
So here's to the MLS Monday Night show! (Note, no such show was mentioned.....yet)
2) Beckham/Superstar/Franchise Player Rule
No deal. It turns out it isn't financially viable for the league to invest in big names to try an drive attendances and sponsorship revenue. Not a huge surprise for some, but probably a disappointment to others. But this announcement was mentioned along with the next big announcement.
3) Vertical Player Development
No no, not growth hormones for height. But the institution of an academy system, or at least the right to develop and sign local talent rather than seeing them snatched up by other teams because of the current rules with signing players. This should be huge for those teams that have already made some youth investment like Chicago or New York. We can only hope to see more MLS teams invest in PDL franchises, expanded roster, and an expanded reserve division. But its a relief to me to hear them talk about greater investments in "vertical player development" than bringing over players known for their name rather than their ability these days.
Of course Garber has said we'll have to wait a while for an announcement with any kind of details, but that they are in the final stages is a good sign.
4) Expansion & Relocation
Current plans are still to expand to 16 teams by 2010 and then take a break. Obviously Toronto was one of the four that will be added. As for the other three Garber mentioned Las Vegas, Miami, Seattle, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Atlanta. I hesitate to say it, but I think San Jose will also get one of those three remaining spots, Lew Wolf has certainly been making a point to announce the staff he has hired and the offices he is opening for them. All of those cities have been mentioned before, besides Las Vegas. So we know Cleveland has made progress as well as St. Louis and Philidelphia. The Atlanta bid sounds like it has promise, but I would be curious to find out who the investors for Seattle are, and who is trying to bring MLS back to Miami.
Kansas City may or may not be relocating, Garber still seems hopeful that the situation can be resolved. And Salt Lake City will not be going anywhere, Garber seemed pretty firm in his resolve that Salt Lake City will find a way to build a stadium and that the team is in no immediate danger or relocating.
5) Scheduling Issues
Plans are in place for an unbalanced 13 team schedule next year, using the current conference set-up. Although Garber did not totally discount the possibility of a single table in the future, it was not mentioned as still being discussed. However he did mention that they would be discussing the possibility of a split season schedule, or a summer break. So we'll see what happens, be very interesting to see what comes out of the board of governors meeting in respect the schedule, conference set up and the future of the playoffs.
6) Advertising?
Ads on the front of jerseys are apparently "a plan" that's being worked on. So good news there as far as helping teams hit the black. Currently many teams have little quarter size ads on the back of jerseys. I can only hope that front ads will generate greater revenue. Otherwise they just wouldn't be worth it.
Gardner also hopes that MLS advertising will expand this coming season now that ESPN/FSC will have a vested interest in promoting the programming that they are paying for. So we should start seeing ads aired on ESPN during more than just the actual game.
7) Stadiums
Red Bull Park should break ground any time now. And this time it really seems like its going to happen. And despite failures by the MLB and NFL to build a stadium in Boston, the MLS has been having some success in this area. The cost and size of a soccer stadium make it a lot easier to fit in somewhere in the city, so I guess all we can do is stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
MLS Single Table
What the MLS would look like under a single table.
1. FC Dallas 11-3-5 36PTS 19GMS
2. DC United 9-6-2 33PTS 17GAMES
3. Houston Dynamo 7-8-3 29PTS 18GMS
4. Colorado Rapids 7-3-6 24PTS 16GMS
5. Red Bull Ny 5-9-5 24PTS 19GAMES
6. CD Chivas USA 6-5-6 23PTS 17GMS
7. Chicago Fire 5-7-5 22PTS 17GAMES
8. NE Revolution 5-7-6 22PTS 18GAMES
9. Columbus Crew 4-8-5 20PTS 17GAMES
10. Real Salt Lake 5-4-8 19PTS 18GAMES
11. KC Wizards 5-2-9 17PTS 16GAMES
12. LA Galazy 4-4-10 16PTS 18GAMES
Now how can you take unbalanced schedules and make a single table? Isn't that a little weak, what with the way DCU has feasted on an usually weak Eastern Conference? Well no. Not if we only let teams play each other twice. In order to do that I only counted the first two meetings between teams, which hurt a few teams, but overall didn't really change things too much.
So throw in promotion and relegation and LA and KC would both be gone and right now Montreal and Charleston would be coming up. Of course chances are with Toronto joining next year you would just want to relegate one team to have a 14 team top flight.
But as promotion/relegation will never happen between leagues owned by different entities and MLS single table remains not much more than a rumor/pipe dream of the future.
1. FC Dallas 11-3-5 36PTS 19GMS
2. DC United 9-6-2 33PTS 17GAMES
3. Houston Dynamo 7-8-3 29PTS 18GMS
4. Colorado Rapids 7-3-6 24PTS 16GMS
5. Red Bull Ny 5-9-5 24PTS 19GAMES
6. CD Chivas USA 6-5-6 23PTS 17GMS
7. Chicago Fire 5-7-5 22PTS 17GAMES
8. NE Revolution 5-7-6 22PTS 18GAMES
9. Columbus Crew 4-8-5 20PTS 17GAMES
10. Real Salt Lake 5-4-8 19PTS 18GAMES
11. KC Wizards 5-2-9 17PTS 16GAMES
12. LA Galazy 4-4-10 16PTS 18GAMES
Now how can you take unbalanced schedules and make a single table? Isn't that a little weak, what with the way DCU has feasted on an usually weak Eastern Conference? Well no. Not if we only let teams play each other twice. In order to do that I only counted the first two meetings between teams, which hurt a few teams, but overall didn't really change things too much.
So throw in promotion and relegation and LA and KC would both be gone and right now Montreal and Charleston would be coming up. Of course chances are with Toronto joining next year you would just want to relegate one team to have a 14 team top flight.
But as promotion/relegation will never happen between leagues owned by different entities and MLS single table remains not much more than a rumor/pipe dream of the future.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Aloha MLS
Honolulu Advertiser Article
Official Aloha Cup Site
It seems as though the Aloha Stadium Authority has decided to give both baseball and soccer the boot. And it now seems more and more that the MLS will not be returning to Hawaii in the forseeable future. And one wonders if the LA Galaxy's agreement to play a preseason friendly in Hawaii every year has been discarded as a promise unfufilled.
When the Galaxy came in 2005 the media reported that they had signed a five year agreement to come and play a J-League team in Hawaii each year. The first year the J-League side Hiroshima cancelled due to the J-League's descion to start their season earlier because of World Cup Qualifying. DC United (another AEG side) would come in their place to play. This past year CONCACAF commitments kept LA from paradise, that however is just my own educated guess, as nothing was ever reported.
With the locking of the stadium there would be few alternative venues to host a soccer game. It might still be possible to remove several rows of seats to bring the field up to the smallest possible allowed field size, but having been to the Aloha stadium I'm not sure how feasible this really is. Another alternative is the Waipio Soccer Complex, but after the first game drew more than 14,000 fans to the game on a cold and rainy night (yes we get those in Hawaii), limiting seating to 5,000 could be problematic.
Other Aloha Cup Articles...
Spotlight Cobi Jones
Color Commentary on the Game
Heres to hoping they come back.
In an aside, you might think that the Star Bulletin is a very soccer friendly paper with all of these articles, many of them very positive about soccer. However they have a tendancy to forget to publish MLS scores. Which is to bad, when they are otherwise the better paper in Hawaii I feel.
Official Aloha Cup Site
It seems as though the Aloha Stadium Authority has decided to give both baseball and soccer the boot. And it now seems more and more that the MLS will not be returning to Hawaii in the forseeable future. And one wonders if the LA Galaxy's agreement to play a preseason friendly in Hawaii every year has been discarded as a promise unfufilled.
When the Galaxy came in 2005 the media reported that they had signed a five year agreement to come and play a J-League team in Hawaii each year. The first year the J-League side Hiroshima cancelled due to the J-League's descion to start their season earlier because of World Cup Qualifying. DC United (another AEG side) would come in their place to play. This past year CONCACAF commitments kept LA from paradise, that however is just my own educated guess, as nothing was ever reported.
With the locking of the stadium there would be few alternative venues to host a soccer game. It might still be possible to remove several rows of seats to bring the field up to the smallest possible allowed field size, but having been to the Aloha stadium I'm not sure how feasible this really is. Another alternative is the Waipio Soccer Complex, but after the first game drew more than 14,000 fans to the game on a cold and rainy night (yes we get those in Hawaii), limiting seating to 5,000 could be problematic.
Other Aloha Cup Articles...
Spotlight Cobi Jones
Color Commentary on the Game
Heres to hoping they come back.
In an aside, you might think that the Star Bulletin is a very soccer friendly paper with all of these articles, many of them very positive about soccer. However they have a tendancy to forget to publish MLS scores. Which is to bad, when they are otherwise the better paper in Hawaii I feel.
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